Turtle to strengthen online presence, expand in Bengal and UP

“Our spring/summer 2019 collection introduces two distinct ranges: formal and casual,” says Shitanshu Jhunjhunwala, Director, Turtle. The formal collection is inspired by the ‘tech’ look, while casual collection, inspired by artistic vision, focusing on ‘patterns and colors’. The formal collection introduces a range called ‘Expandables’ which offers stretch in everyday work wear clothing. This range is available in ‘Prince of Wales’ checks in vibrant red, blue, summer and mints colors.

Eco-friendly shirts collection

Another of the brand’s invention is an organic collection of shirts where the tag has special seeds which blossom after they come in contact with mud and water under congenial environment. “A young and fresh collection, it’s offbeat in terms of colors, patterns and styling,” Jhunjhunwala notes. For its casual wear range, Turtle has introduced ‘Artorial’ shirts that are printed in vibrant colors like aqua, mint and peach have got the ball rolling for the collection.

“We focus on innovations in fabrics and patterns,” Jhunjhunwala says, further adding “our styles and cuts offer a minimalistic look in fresh and vibrant colors that range from sea green to mauve, pink, peach, coral, subdued grey and khaki, aqua, sky and royal blue, white, cream and lemon. Our organic collection is full of whites, beiges and khakis.”

Future trends to focus on tech and sustainability

Talking about future trends in fashion, Jhunjhunwala says, future trends will focus on tech and sustainability with innovations in fabrics and yarns. Various fabric finishes have been initiated that are durable and utilitarian. “Blends are here to stay,” Jhunjhunwala explains. Key blends available today include cotton linen, linen Tencel, Excel linen, knit linen, cotton Tencel, cotton modal, cotton polyester, etc. “Floral prints will be popular alongside fresh bold brush strokes motifs. Exaggerated patterns and colors are likely to be popular alongwith small dot geometrical patterns,” he adds.

Turtle recently reformed its handwoven collection in terms of, bottoms and jackets and bandhis. The new and improved woven fabric used in this collection along with an earthy color palette makes it a crisp and sharp range. “We are relaunching this collection along with accessories like totes and shoulder bags,” adds Jhunjhunwala.

Wedding season brings in optimism

Talking about business, Jhunjhunwala says, “The current season has largely been flat although some weeks have witnessed exponential growth. There hasn’t been any natural increase in walk-ins.” The upcoming season too is likely to be volatile due to the political scenario and upcoming elections, he feels. However, the wedding market is strong and the brand is optimistic about it.

Inventory management and control is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today followed by working capital. “Emerging opportunities will be in the digital space, e-commerce, and omni-channel. We are present in over 1,000 MBOs, over 100 EBOs and large format stores like Central, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons, Brand Factory, Reliance, Max,” observes Jhunjhunwala.

Although online sales form a small part of Turtle’s business, the brand plans to strengthen its e-commerce presence “as a lot of people first view a product online and then come to our store to purchase it. We also plan to expand our business in Bengal and UP,” he sums up.

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